Everyone raves about Tchaikovsky and after being reassured there were no bugs, I began reading Ogres.

I love a fairy tale; ogres, serfs, the chance to put right the wrongs…The opening is pretty much what you expect from the blurb but then it starts to twist and turn, leaving behind the book you expect forcing the reader to face up to our own inadequacies.

“For if humanity found itself able to eat meat, we would multiply beyond all reason and strip the world bare, not a beast, not a fowl left.”

Exactly, thought my veggie heart. Although, why can’t they eat meat? Hang on, that carriage sounds like a car…. Is that a gun? What is going on!

It’s these twisty turns that Tchaikovsky weaves in so effortlessly that make this novella feel like a fully fledged book.

Unusually, Ogres is written in second person. I can’t think of many books that use this device - Leckie’s excellent Raven Tower comes to mind. It initially jars but quickly allows the story to grow, echoing the scientific values found in the latter half.

It’s super short, only around 100 pages, but they deliver a well thought out tale that kept me up far too late.

Thank you to NetGalley and Rebellion Publishing for providing this E- ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I gratefully received an advance copy of Ogres via NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

I have become a fan of Adrian Tchaikovsky over the past few years. Children of Time and The Doors of Eden being two of my favorites. This is a novella length story that reminded me of Firewalkers which I very much enjoyed. Humans are subservient to their Ogre Masters in this story. They farm and work so their masters can have everything they desire. Its just the way its always been. Our protagonists journey reveals the history of the Ogres and their bloody appetites. I enjoyed almost all of what I read. There was one paragraph that made me cringe as it could be construed as very "antivax". I hope that's not the case but it certainly left an impression. Other themes involving the "masters"/1% and the 'monkeys'/ working classes were well done. Its well timed to write a book that deals with power and wealth inequalities in 2022.
Mr. Tchaikovsky's work is always a fun experience and I look forward to whatever he happens to do next!

4.5 / 5 ✪

https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com/2022/03/08/ogres-by-adrian-tchaikovsky-review/

Ogres is a bit of an oddity as it’s written almost exclusively in the 2nd person. While that’s something that is often difficult to pull off, this novella handles it quite nicely. Part of this might be its small size (which at least helped), but the writing style and story also pair nicely with this choice, combining to convey Torquell’s tale as something of a legend, or epic. Which makes perfect sense, as Torquell <i>is</i> a hero.

Ogres starts as many other stories (especially dystopians) do: with an assertion. “This is how the world is”. And the point of the tale—at least in part—is to discern just how or why the world is this way, and what’s to be done about it. In this particular world, Ogres rule over their flock like gods; masters uncrossed and unequaled by ‘man, culling and controlling the populace to ensure no one rises above their place. With all the climate-change novellas that Tchaikovsky has put out recently, it’s refreshing to see a new tact. But while this may not be the obvious connotation (of a world ruined), it isn’t <i>not</i> that. I won’t spoil the mystery, as to just how or why this came to be, I’ll just say that you shouldn’t be surprised if there’s an allegory for life somewhere within. If you’re familiar at all with Tchaikovsky however, this will hardly shock you.

It’s quite a good read, honestly. Tchaikovsky’s short fiction is surprisingly good—often stronger than his novel-length works of late. And he’s been very consistent—pumping out 1-2 novellas a year like clockwork. One of the best parts about them is that they don’t read like a novella, and Ogres is no exception. Although it is a shorter read, the text does not skimp on world-building; the world is well-formed, detailed, and well-rounded, set up, and executed. While it loses some of this depth in the later stages, by then the plot is firmly int he driver’s seat and the audience isn’t going anywhere. I had absolutely no trouble reading this, and I hope you’ll prove the same. While I didn’t spend much time within its pages, Ogres left a long lasting impression, somewhat in contrast to its smaller size. The only negative I can give this is its price tag—which has become all the more common of late. $10 is too much for an ebook, particularly one that will probably only last 3-5 hours. But it’s no less expense than anything else nowadays, and is actually cheaper than a comparable story from the likes of Tor.com.

Tchaikovsky does it again! Bravo! This was entertaining from the first sentence until its conclusion. This is one to add to your reading list!

My second Tchaikovsky of the year already. One of his shorter books and, as with Firewalkers, they don't tend to be his most subtle work. But, again as with Firewalkers, at this length you can get away with a burst of concentrated fury at the state of the world and its likely destination. We open on a pastoral sort of setting, where humans labour in the fields, told by the church that it is only right and proper that they stay in their place; it is divinely ordained that the Masters are bigger, stronger, better. Not only do human not have any right to use the technology ogres do, or eat meat – they physically can't. Certainly it's unthinkable that any human could ever think to strike one of their huge overlords, however much the ogres might figuratively or literally throw their weight around.

Until, inevitably, the protagonist does.

Now, even when he's in his more direct mode, Tchaikovsky is not a writer to take the route one approach to storytelling, and where it goes from there is not either of the obvious routes, or at least not immediately and nor is that where it ends up. I suspected a few things ahead of time, but even for those the breadcrumb trail was played out with sufficient aplomb that I didn't resent being ahead of the game, not least because – unlike when that happens in eg a detective story – there are very good reasons for the reader to twig ahead of the protagonist. Even being told in the second person is ultimately justified, with only the slightest sleight of hand. So yeah, very much the second-best new book from him I've read this year, but the bar is high enough for that not to be the diss it sounds.

(Netgalley ARC)

One of the best books I have ever read. Reminded me why I love Orwell's works so much.

"Ogres" is an important book to read ; written in an exquisite style. The idea of the book isn't exactly unique. But the story is unlike anything I have read before. It's unparalleled and extraordinary. I loved this book a lot. This novella is packed with way more significance than you can imagine. The first book that I'm going to add to my list of the best books of 2022.

I was given a free copy of Ogres by Adrian Tchaikovsky (author), Rebellion (publisher), Solaris (publisher), and Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

This review will spoiler free.

I would characterize Ogres as either dystopian or post apocalyptic fantasy.

Ogres is a novella. The main character is a young man who is tall for a human, but still shorter than ogres. Ogres are masters of the humans.

The story moved at a brisk pace from start to finish and some of the scenes pack an emotional punch.

The issue I have with Ogres is that it is told in second person and present tense, and these are due to personal tastes. I prefer third person (maybe first person) and in past tense. I felt characters were arms length and it was difficult to connect with the main character or any of the other characters.

I would recommend Ogres to readers who enjoy dystopian or post apocalyptic fantasy.

I rate Ogres 3 stars.

I would like to thank Mr. Tchaikovsky, Rebellion, Solaris, and Net Galley for the free E-Arc.

I adored this novella. This - believe it or not - is my first Adrian Tchaikovsky book, so I had very, very, high expectations.

Now I have given many fantastic books five star reviews, as I have here, but it is very rarely that I call a book 'perfect'. This to me, is a perfect piece of work. Beautifully and emotionally written, and not one single superfluous word between these pages.

It takes over your brain at the beginning as you believe you are reading a fairytale of some description. However, as you progress, the underlying themes start to emerge and you will be absolutely transfixed at just how damn clever this author is. I love stories like this where you could actually write an essay about the contents: genetic engineering; slavery (a race thought of as 'monkeys'); the treatment of women and many more. You'll notice that I'm telling you nothing about the actual storyline, I truly don't want to spoil your enjoyment.

Wonderful writing. Mr Tchaikovsky, you've got yourself a new admirer.

I chose to read an ARC of this book, which I voluntarily and honestly reviewed. Many thanks to the author and NetGalley.

If you enjoy masterful writing, great story telling, and a dystopian science fiction plot, read this book now and don’t bother reading any reviews. Trust me.

OK, I guess you want more details?

This is the story of a boy, Torquell, born of two sickly parents who both have died, and yet he flourished and grows to be an unusually robust, exuberant, and rambunctious young man.

Immediately, it’s evident that the narrative style is very unusual in two respects and both of these aspects evoke the feeling of a mother talking to her child.

The first thing of note is the narrative style and verb tense. There’s a first-person narrator speaking to Torquell the way an expectant mother might speak directly to her unborn child instead of speaking about him to others. Like she might say “Remember that you are gifted my son; you will become a successful author and will not need to practice law” while we as bystanders eavesdrop. (Some reviewers say the story is written from the second-person point of view, but I disagree because the “you” mentioned is not you, dear reader, it is Torquell; and the “I” who is speaking is another character in the story as revealed later.)

This “motherly” narrative is compelling but a bit disconcerting because the story is relayed in the past tense instead of future tense, so we realize that a lot has happened and we are catching up. And with every subsequent action and success, that troubling past tense leaves an ominous twinge of dread instead of hope and anticipation of what the future will bring.

We learn there is a very good reason for us to proceed with fear. Torquell lives a precarious life as a villager subjugated by the larger, more powerful ogre overlords. Like the peasants of old, the villagers owe their lord a percentage, and the lord claims that with an air of nonchalant greed and cruelty.

The other thing that immediately stands out in the narrative is the rhythmic, lyrical cadence that feels like a lullaby or free verse. It flows as gently as if you were in a boat carried downstream, bobbing, swaying, drifting naturally from one plot point to the next, with no trudging through a tangled thicket of syntax. It’s euphonious, mellifluous, natural, and beautiful. It’s as soothing as a lullaby.

As the book progresses, the author intensifies the anticipation and horror with small bits of subtle but unmistakable foreshadowing woven in so briefly, lightly, and skillfully. The early scene in the kitchen builds up with foreshadowing and finally explodes when Torquell sees remnants of bones, cooked and the ogre’s son taunting him. He comes to a full realization and retaliates, a fateful act that begins his hero’s journey.

As the story unfolds, there’s an obvious allusion to Robin Hood in the woods, which sets up the anticipation of three classes: the ogres (as rulers, masters, consumers); the people or populace (as slaves and property); and the forest-dwelling outlaws. These outlaws protect themselves, but are they capable and full of honor of a hero like their namesake Robin Hood? Can they “steal from the rich to give to the poor?” Or will they cower, double-cross, and cheat?

Toquell is captured and held as an indulged pet of an ogre for six years. The relationship between the people and the ogres that has been hinted at now become the focal point as the story grows clearer and clearer while Toquell struggles to figure out their relationship.

By the mid point of the novel, it’s interesting that the prose switches from the style of subtle fantasy and agrarian subculture as Torquell’s reading material becomes more and more sophisticated. As his knowledge grows, the prose becomes more conventionally science fiction, which is a really cool technique—and very good timing, too, because by that point, the tension so high I want to devour the story as quickly as I could turn the pages.

In the end, the story becomes as crystal clear as it can, wrapped up almost as tightly and neatly as babe in swaddling clothes. I would have loved more emphasis on honor, for Toquell to have more unambiguous human interactions, and a stronger ending as a catharsis to clear out all of that slowly building existential dread. The silence evokes the earlier “unsaid” truths to show the prevalence of silence as a tool of subjugation. According to Wikipedia the derivation of Toquell is “Thor” (Norse god of thunder) + “kettle” (sacrificial cauldron). I ended the novel with so many unresolved feelings about him, Minith, and the Economics. Let the silence lay.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is another excellent Tchaikovsky novella that does a lot in the limited amount of pages. Tchaikovsky is one of my favorite discoveries of the past year and the amount of inventiveness and creativity he has is staggering. Each book I read of his is unique and tackles different ideas.

This book focuses a lot on various classes in this world and the inequality that follows, how the upper class controls the poor through religion, economics, and pure brutalism.

There are a lot of twists and turns along the way, the writing is very tight and effective of conveying the deep ideas that are packed in with a level of nuance and subtlety of his previous works.

Highly recommend, this one is really interesting and very relevant to society today. Another great science fiction book that explores the bug ideas and muddy ethics that face us today.

“But when you’re property, it doesn’t matter if your owner treats you well or badly. The ownership is all. We don’t split hairs about who is a better slave master. And you would have been the best owner of all, and that still isn’t enough reason to keep you alive once you’ve decided that owning people is fine, just so long as it’s you that owns them.”

This is a story that doesn’t do what you think it would. It takes turns that are sadder and crueler and angrier than I anticipated, seamlessly joining fantasy and science fiction (remember that murky line between magic and sufficiently advanced technology? And I would have been less surprised had I paid attention to the helicopter on the cover). And bringing up the eternal questions about fairness and privilege and exploitation, the haves and the have-nots.

“You understand where the ogres came from, after that.”

“Because in the end, changing the world was too complicated, and left to their own devices people wouldn’t change their habits, and so we had to change the people.”

Yeah, Adrian Tchaikovsky is good. By now he’s absolutely perfect at novellas. And he’s good at delivering a well-timed punch that sets things on a path that changes everything, mixing humor and pathos without a second thought.

“You’re all about the big picture, and you’ve become aware that there is a very big picture indeed, buried in the history of the world, and everything in your life seems to have been thrown up to hide it.”

I’ve read an essay by Ursula K. Le Guin recently that focused on the rhythms in the narrative, both oral and written, and it made me pay much more conscious attention to the rhythms of the story. And it’s very impressive how well Tchaikovsky’s story flows, how right from the start it falls into a rhythm that makes it click for me — competently and seemingly effortlessly. He’s obviously really good at his craft, good at his prose, and it shows.I love competent writing which is a pure pleasure to read. And yes, here he takes a risk of putting the entire story into the second person narration, which to many people is the instant sign to back away slowly, but you needn’t worry here — Mr. T knows what he’s doing, and he’s very good even with this difficult style. Just trust him, and he’ll make it worth it.

“But so the stories go, and you prefer them. Already you’re starting to see the world in a certain way, with that overlay people paint where desperation and necessity get gilded over into stories.”

“The might of the ogres isn’t solely contained in their great limbs and strength. But that is what strikes the eye, when you see them. You, big and strong for a man, are used to weighing others by the amount of world they displace and the force they can exert.”

Don’t be annoyed at the start by seemingly standard plot of a fantasy hero’s journey from lovable rogue to a competent leader; it will evolve into quite more by the end. Tchaikovsky will bring his fantasy not only to science fiction but also to too-real reality, and he has quite a bit to say about that. Are we doomed to repeat the same old history because of our nature? Do revolutions ultimately return to status quo because it’s all about getting a slice of that proverbial pie for the leaders? And why are there no spiders in this book, at all?

“And then you find a book which finally teaches you the right questions.”

4.5 stars which I will round up because he’s that good. By now I’ve read quite a few of his novellas, and this is among my favorites, close to “Walking to Aldebaran” and “Spiderlight”.

Thanks to NetGalley and Rebellion Publishing Ltd. for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm going to skip over giving this a synopsis because it's quite twisty from the get go and I don't want to spoil anything. I'll just keep things short. This is an incredibly well-balanced novella that has great ideas, plot and characters without sacrificing anything to stick to the shorter length, and without any padding to justify a novella rather than a short. Tchaikovsky deftly explores some interesting political ideas without it feeling like a lesson in political science, and his simple but often lyrical prose is a joy to read. I will say, I was initially a bit put-off by the second-person narration, but it didn't really take away from the experience for me.

I'm looking forward to his next release, which I'm sure is only a matter of weeks away!

I am a big fan of Adrian Tchaikovsky. I've read a number of his works and have always been intrigued by his writing style, way of telling the story, and his plot and character development. Ogres is no different.

I honestly wasn't sure what to expect going in to this book and whatever I did expect, it wasn't what I ultimately got. The hint of suspense, keeping you guessing what was really going on and how things were going to pan out, kept driving the story forward. The story never felt slow and moved with good pace. It was hard to put down at times, leaving me wanting more.

I really enjoyed the story and look forward to Tchaikovskys next book.

Adrian Tchaikovsky continues to deliver yet another excellent sci-fi book. It starts off as a fantasy novel, with a twist. We follow, the headman's son, Torquell, the village's lovable rogue. While still young, bigger and stronger than all humans around. Nothing compared to the landlord and the other ogres who run the world, using humans as expendable workers for the farms and factories. After an altercation with the ogres he is forced to flee and learn to function in the strange world he knows so little about. This is a mystery novel, where we through the story of Torquell layer by layer learn more. The second-person perspective threw me off a bit, but after getting used to it I'll admit to it being successful and it all comes together well in the end.

Torquell is the son of the village headman in a bleak, dystopian world that has reverted to a feudal economy ruled by Ogres who treat the human population as their servants. Torquell has enjoyed a free ranging upbringing, smiled on by the village even as he plays pranks and steals apples and meets with the outlaws who live in the woods. However, one day when the landlord, Sir Peter Grimes, a ten foot ogre, comes to collect his taxes with his cruel and oafish son Gerald, Torquell loses his temper and lashes out at Gerald and suddenly finds himself an outcast.

Tchaikovsky has clearly had fun writing this enjoyable novella. At first the world seems strange but as Torquell learns more of its history, it becomes a cautionary tale for our polluted, overpopulated world. Told in the second person, with the narrator only revealed at the end, there is a streak of humour and fun threaded through this sardonic fairytale.

Another very enjoyable short book from Adrian Tchaikovsky. Really enjoyed the characters, and the story was enjoyable also. #Ogres #NetGalley

My first Tchaikovsky. That was actually meant to be 'Children of Time', which I saw several people whose opinions I value describe as a modern classic of science-fiction. But then my friend Nataliya talked me into a buddy read of this, his new novella, and I read the blurb and thought that it sounded kinda boring, but it seems I can never withstand the draw of the buddy read and so it turned out to be 'Ogres'.

Usually things like that don't end well, because I know myself as a reader and if the blurb says 'boring' to me then more often than not I end up being bored and whoever recommended the book to me is only in for one thing - disappointment. And frankly, we started on the wrong foot here as well. Second person! Goddammit, Tchaikovsky, is what I thought. Additionally, the rather standard plot of the oppressed raising their hand against the oppressing (ogres), paying a steep price for their insolence, and then going on the often told hero's journey to come back and take their revenge didn't really interest me all that much.

But even though I didn't care much about what happened in this rather cruel fantasy tale, I could still see that Tchaikovsky is indeed a very good writer and not even the (usually) dreadful second person narrative got on my nerves any longer after only two or three chapters. As for the plot, it turned out I've been wrong and this book actually takes a very interesting science-fictional turn around the halfway mark and has a couple of things to say about our societal, economical, environmental shortcomings as human beings in both our current days and our past. And what about our future? Are we going to make the same mistakes all over again, because that's just how we are? Or can we be better? Do we even have the chance to, or is it the system that screws us over and we are lost?

In the end this turned out to be a well-written novella with a nice genre twist in the middle and an equally nice plot twist right at the end and I came to both appreciate the book and Tchaikovsky as a writer. Well done, my friend.

4 stars.

Adrian Tchaikovsky does it again. Rollercoaster world building as twists and turns lead you to rethink your assumptions about genre and setting, all wrapped up in an examination of class dynamics and bioethics. Wonderful - perhaps his second best ever novella, beaten only by the sublime Dogs of War. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

NetGalley & Orbit books provided an advance reading copy of Ogres in exchange for my honest review. Honestly, I was surprised by how incredibly unputdownable this novella was. I thought it was great.

Ogres is about Torquell, the son of the village headman. They live in an idyllic village on the feudal estate owned by one of the feared "masters" or ogres. He's a mischievous troublemaker who, because of his charm and winning smile, had always gotten away with it until the day he didn't. On that fateful day, he'd dared to lift his hand against the son of their all-powerful landlord, which got him into a kind of trouble he couldn't charm his way out of.

I made the mistake of starting to read this story fairly late in the evening which turned out to be a problem because I literally could not put this story down. I cared about the main characters and I just had to find out what happened next so I stayed up late to finish it.

This novella is told in second person, which I always thought might be a strange way to write a story, but it worked really well. I'd never read anything by Adrian Tchaikovsky before, but the story is so well written, and the characters were so real, that I was immediately immersed in the story.

I really enjoyed this story and so I give it 4.5 out of 5 stars (rounding up to 5).

Ogres is that Science Fiction/Fantasy book that seemed quite different from the very outset. The narrative voice was, for me, not my usual favorite The impression is that of a storyteller in the third person. The lead character has his story told. The voice of the narrator is unknown. Despite this sense of unfamiliarity, I found the situations compelling, different, and the tale of the superior race versus the subjugated race to be interesting and at its end, surprising, perhaps shocking.

I had not read anything by Adrian Tchaikovsky before, and I immediately, sought out more by this author. (a good sign!)